Monthly Archives: January 2009

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It is on this day every year that I awake to the memories of my mom and dad, who I miss so much. It is on this day that they died in a plane crash, 9 years ago.

It hardly seems that long, but feels like an eternity. I forgot their smell, their touch and their laugh a long time ago, but their life long lessons live within, and when I see them in me I know it’s mom and dad.

It hardly seems like I should be so well, but there was a time I was not. When you heal from loss you sometimes feel guilty, as if I am forgetting who mom and dad were. Yet, in reality, I was not well for many years. I thought I was well, but only when I was really well, could I truly know what it meant to be well.

Like all years, on this day, I will find a quiet place and ask myself one question: “Am I healing, or am I stuck?”

I don’t mean for this to sound glib, but a lot of people have been through junk half the size of Goliath and they throw in the towel, they’re stuck. I don’t ever want to be stuck. Remember mom and dad, yes; the pain, yes, the moments of desperation, yes; it’s my story! Honor them, yes! Laugh and reminisce, yes! Cry when I think of them, yes! BUT stuck, NO way. I’ve got too much life to live with my Lord, my wife and my daughter to be stuck.

I want healing. AND it’s funny because I used to think healing was an all at once experience. Then my mom and dad were killed and I realized that healing is needed all at once, and whenever it is needed. There’s not a season of the calendar that goes by where I don’t shed a tear for what I’ve endured, but at the same time there’s not a season where I don’t experience My Healer. Jesus heals! All of it. Every part.

My mom and dad were some of the coolest people you’d ever meet. I miss them bunches, and at the same time, I know they are looking over the banister of heaven checking in on me from time to time. Love ya, mom and dad. See you in a lifetime!

Matt 5:37, “Just say a simple, ‘Yes, I will,’ or ‘No, I won’t.’ Anything beyond this is from the evil one.”

So how do you fix it when you put your word out there, but don’t follow through? I’ve done this and it stinks, but sorrowfully it happens, not often, but sometimes.

Humility. Humble yourself before the Lord and the one who you’ve neglected.

Forgiveness. Ask for forgiveness.

Clarity. Make certain you clarify how you did NOT follow through.

Consciousness. Make sure you are absolutely conscious of your word going forward.

Is there really a standard where we can expect perfection in someone else and their words? Only the Word of God is perfect, but I also believe that if we ask for the grace to follow through the Lord will freely give us this ability. The Holy Spirit will bring situations and circumstances to the forefront to be healed, mended and remembered.

After all, if a person does not have their word intact, what do they really have? Maybe each of us should take an inventory on the commitments we’ve made to others, and if something comes to our remembrance do not neglect to follow through.

Take the time to consider every commitment you make to another. Ask yourself, can you follow through? Who will help you follow through? When will you follow through? Use this filter to never forget another commitment again and begin restoring your word right now.

James 5:12, “But most of all, my brothers and sisters, never take an oath, by heaven or earth or anything else. Just say a simple yes or no, so that you will not sin and be condemned.”

Thank you to those who threw something in the comments on the first post of this series, keep it coming.

This scripture really hits the nail on the head about how we use our word…

2 Cor 1:18-20, “As surely as God is faithful, my word to you does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” 19 For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.” He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says. 20 For all of God’s promises have been fulfilled in Christ with a resounding “Yes!” And through Christ, our “Amen” (which means “Yes”) ascends to God for his glory.”

I think this is a big key to why people are marginalized in effectiveness. When their word is not dependable they are not dependable. Here are a few ideas I have been pondering to make my personal word more integral, see if you can use any of this.

The sooner I follow through on what I said I would do, the better.

Handling directly is better than someone else handling for me.

Fewer Commitments with More intention.

Make certain I have the authority to make the commitment.

Accountability is essential; who I tell my commitments to is the key to my success.

The other day I was confronted by something that really disappointed me. Somebody told me that I had let another person down because I committed something to that person, but didn’t follow through. I hate that, but it does happen every now and then. I don’t want it to happen anymore, so I thought I’d get some advice from the blog readers on this one.

What parameters do you set in your own life, so you can keep your word?

When you simply forget, like I did, what is your protocol to reconcile the situation?

Is it fair to assume that people are going to not follow through on their word from time to time?

I’ve processed a few thoughts that I’m going to throw out there later this week, but what about you, how do you keep your word? Is this an important issue today? Do we just assume that people will let us down and then don’t expect much of them? How can we fix it when we fail in this important area?

Wow, time is buzzing by quicker than a chocolate lover in the Hershey factory. It seems that a lot of stuff is going on, and I’m super intentional with time and planning right now.

This week is the MFI Regional Conference in Kirkland. I made a decision to attend the day sessions only because Melinda and I are new parents (10 months this week), and there are some pieces of our lives we are adjusting, one of those is how many conferences we attend. It is always fun to see close friends and co-leaders at MFI.

From there I headed to Wade’s Gun range in Bellevue to do some practicing. Ok, I agree, gun ownership is a very personal thing, so not everyone has to own a gun, but I do. I shot a hundred rounds to practice the skills.

Enjoyed the evening with Melinda over some homemade beef stir fry and Seven was entertaining me by feeding herself carrots and pears and cauliflower. Oh my gosh, you should have seen her first bite of cauliflower, it was her last also. Very funny stuff there.

Speaking of eating with family. When Melinda and I were childless we were less apt to sit down for a meal at home, usually sit down dinners were out on the town. Now, I can’t wait to eat all together. One of the things that has changed the most about having Seven in my life, I want to be home more often and earlier in the evenings. Dad stuff is cool!

I headed to the shop to work on the race car a bit.

It was a great day.

Cool stat from the weekend…

We’ve had over 1,000 visitors to the Lake Stevens Campus Blog, here. We just went live, so that’s good.

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The Revved Life

Every part of life—every experience, every lesson, every encounter, every tragedy—became meaningful and purposeful as I came to realize what God was calling me to do … to be. It's what I've come to call The Revved Life. Will you join me on this journey? CLICK on the image to learn more about how to get your copies TODAY.

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I am a professional race car driver and Lead Pastor. It's an interesting combination...